Toothbrush



1930.. R. B. KINGMAN 1,744,271

TOOTHBRULSH Filed June 20, 1928 IN V EN TOR.

F 6 /6 W A TTORNEY Patented Jan. 21, 1930 V UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE RUSSELL B. KINGMAN, OF ORANGE, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO USEFUL PRODUCTS COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY TOOTHBRUSH Application filed June 20, 1928. Serial No. 286,728.

The present invention relates, generally, to brushes and the invention has reference, more particularly to a novel form of tooth brush of the type wherein the head or bristlecarrying portion is detachably secured to the handle.

The invention has for its principal object to provide a novel construction of tooth-brush which not only is easily maintained in a sanitary condition during use, but also provides for the easy assembly and the rigid holding together of the head and handle, while at the same time permitting ready disconnection of these members, as for the purpose of replacing old and worn out heads.

Another object of the invention lies in the provision of a tooth-brush of the above character that is of simple yet strong construction and which may be cheaply 1nanufactured.

Other objects of the present invention, not at this time more particularly enumerated, will be clearly understood from the following detailed description of the same.

WVith the various objects of the present invention in view, the same consists, primarily, in the novel toothbrush, and the like, hereinafter set forth; and the invention consists, furthermore, in the various arrangements and combinations of the several devices and parts, as well as in the details of the construction of the same, all of which will be more fully described in the following specification, and then finally embodied in the claim which is appended thereto.

The invention is clearly illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a plan view of the novel toothbrush of this invention, comprising a handle and detachable brush-head.

Fig. 2 is a side view of the structure shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 1 of the handle of the toothbrush, the position of the brush-head being indicated in dotted outline;

Fig. 1 is a part sectional view of the toothbrush head, taken along line 4% of Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken along line 55 of Fig. 2; and

Fig. 6 illustrates the method of attaching the toothbrush head to the handle.

Similar characters of reference are employed in all of the hereinabove described views, to indicate corresponding parts.

Referring now to the said drawings, the reference numeral 1 designates the novel toothbrush as a whole, the same comprising a head or brush portion 2 attached to a handle 8. The head or brush portion 2 may be made of celluloid, bone; or of any other suitable material. The head 2 is provided with bristles 4E in any well-known way. The head 2 is formed with a peripheral groove 5 that extends around the rear end and for the greater length of the sides of the head 2. The groove 5 is illustrated as being of semicircular cross section, thereby eliminating joints or crevices in which dirt may lodge, or germs of infection accumulate. It is to be understood, however, that the invention is not limited to a groove 5 of semi-circular cross section for this groove may have any other desirable cross-section. The ends of the groove 5 terminate in oppositely aligned recesses 6 that extend inwardly from the sides of the head 2. The rear end of the head 2, around which the groove 5 extends, is so formed at the bottom of groove 5 as to provide rearwardly converging guideways 7 and 8, which preferably meet at a point 10.

The handle 3 is preferably made from a single piece of resilient, non-corrosive wire doubled on itself and having the forward free end portions 11 and 12 of its sides shaped to conform to the contour of the groove 5 in the head 2. Stop portions 13 and 1d are formed at the junctures of said end portions 11 and 12 with the sides of the handle 3 and are shaped to conform to the converging guideways 7 and 8 of the head 2. Inwardly projecting opposing lugs 15 and 16 are formed on the extremities of the end portions of the handle 3 and are adapted to fit snugly within the recesses 6 in head 2. It is obvious, that instead of the handle 3 comprising a suitably formed piece of wire, the same may consist of the resilient end portions 11 and 12 mounted in the end of a solid handle having the form of the ordinary tooth WIMWMMMWWM 1 WM brush handle and made of celluloid or other suitable material.

\Vhen the head 2 is not attached to the handle 3, the resilient sides of this handle may press against one another as at 17 (see Fig. (3). The tendency of the sides of the handle to press against one another at this point is determined by the characteristics of the material of the handle 3 and its treatment during manufacture and it is obvious that these sides may be caused to bear against each other with any desired force.

Figure 6 illustrates the simple manner in which the head 2 may be attached to the handle 3. In attaching the head 2 to the handle 3, the head and the handle are moved toward each other so as to cause the lugs 15 and 16 to respectively enter the converging guideways 7 and 8 on opposite sides of the point 10. By merely pushing the head and handle together, the lugs 15 and 16 ride through the converging guideways 7 and 8 which together act as a wedge for easily separating the sides of the handle. The lugs 15 and 16 move within the groox e 5 and along the sides of the head 2 until they snap into the recesses 6 at the ends of the groove 5. \Vith the lugs 15 and 16 within the recesses 6, the stop portions 13 and 14 of the handle 3 abut against the rear end of the head 2 and lie within the guideways 7 and 8 respectively. The head 2 is now locked securely within the embracing end portions 11 and 12 of the handle 3. Endwise movement of the head with respect to the handle is positively prevented by the stop portions 13 and 14 and the lugs 15 and 16, whereas sidewise movement of the head is prevented by the embracin end portions 11 and 12. The resiliency of the material of the handle 3 causes the stop portions 13 and 14 to bear tightly against the grooved rear end of the head 2, thereby absolutely preventing any backlash of the head 2 with respect to the handle while the brush is in use. The end portions 11 and 12 of the handle 3 fit. tightly and tensionally within the groove 5, and the outer surfaces of these end portions may be flush with the sides of the head 2 as illustrated in Fig. 5 so that there are no cracks or crevices within which dirt or germs may collect. To disconnect the head from the handle, it is merely necessary to spread the sides of the handle apart until the lugs 15 and 16 are withdrawn from the recesses 6 whereupon the head may be removed from the handle.

In operation, the assembled head and handle, functions as a unitary structure owing to the rigid outer connection of these parts. The natural pressure of the users hand upon the sides of the handle also acts to press the sides of the handle toward each other thus applying an even greater gripping force to the head 2 than is applied by the tension of the handle alone.

As many changes could be made in the above construction and many apparently widely different embodiments of this invention could be made without departing from the scope thereof, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

What is claimed is A toothbrush comprising a handle having resilient side portions that tend to yieldably press toward one another, and a head, said head having one of its ends in the form of a wedge, grooves extending along the side of said head and around the wedge shaped end thereof, said wedge shaped end causing said head to be readily pushed in between the side portions of said handle to be securely gripped thereby, and cooperative means on said head and side portions to prevent displacement of the one relative to the other.

In testimony that I claim the invention set forth above I have hereunto set my hand this 12th day of June. 1928.

RUSSELL B. KINGMAN. 

